Looking Back
by peroxidepest17
Summary: Ichigo remembers a little bit.


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**Title: **Looking Back  
**Author: **Celeste  
**Feedback: **(yes!) Universe: Bleach  
**Pairing: **IchigoxIshida  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 1,868  
**Time:** Like, 3 hours. O.o  
**Spoilers: **Not really. Summary: Ichigo remembers a little bit.  
**Dedication: **Dave, because he is our cosplay Ichigo and keeps molesting Greg, our Ishida, whenever I ask him to. Life is beautiful. XD  
**A/N:** So I wanted to try something serious again, because I wrote crack, and yeah, I'm never happy am I? Doing one thing and then wanting to do something else is just in my nature I guess. The only commonality seems to be that I can only write Bleach lately. O.o I still owe other fic, dammit! bows I'm so sorry. Anyway… this was my attempt at a more serious IchigoxIshida fic and yeah… it still manages to begin the way it begins despite my efforts. Such is my way. ;;  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Otherwise I wouldn't have such a hard time trying to get the merchandise, dammit!  
**Distribution:** Just lemme know.

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Ichigo will never forget Ishida's horrified expression the night Kurosaki Isshin presented them both with a string of rainbow colored condoms.

It was the kind of first impression that he thinks people refer to as 'mind-rape', but having lived with the man all his life, Ichigo had been immune to the effects and simply told his dad to stop being such an old pervert as he'd come into the house and removed his shoes.

Isshin had managed to appear indignant at the accusation and had pointed to his lab coat, reiterating that he was a _doctor_ and that he wanted his son to practice good, healthy habits no matter who or what he was doing.

Ishida's cheeks had burned a bright shade of pink as the condoms continued to wiggle right in his face, a trail of red, yellow, blue, purple, green, pink, and orange. The elder Kurosaki began railing on his son for not coming to him sooner about that sort of thing.

Ishida had choked on his own spit when Isshin said something along the lines of, "I hope you two haven't started doing anything without the proper education!"

Ichigo had somehow managed to stay cool despite the fact that there had been a procession of multi-colored rubbers being swung menacingly at them both, merely snorting at his father and very bluntly telling him that they were fine on their own.

Ichigo remembers Ishida attempting to make himself as small as possible.

That was the manner in which Ishida Uryuu had been indoctrinated into the Kurosaki family, one snowy winter night a long time ago. Looking back, Ichigo thinks that to this day, nothing will satisfy Isshin but the most heinous of embarrassments, some sort of juvenile trial by fire method his father thinks is actually an effective way of making friends. That night, he'd decided a crash course in sex-ed was the best way to get to know the new person coming into the life of his family.

It had been awkward at first, but looking back now, Ichigo thinks that by the time his father had had Ishida practice putting condoms on a banana, the Quincy had pretty much adapted.

When dinner rolled around and the two were in a lively debate as to the specific merits of different brands of lube, Ichigo had no doubts that Ishida would fit in just fine here.

In fact, during dinner, when the two of them had been discussing Ichigo's good points versus his bad points with Karin and Yuzu chiming in on occasion, Ichigo wasn't sure it was him and not his _family_ that Ishida was dating.

By the time dessert was being served, the entire Kurosaki clan minus-one had taken to Ishida like Inoue to chocolate-covered peanut butter tempura over deep fried chicken and steak-sauce porridge.

Ichigo remembers feeling the nerve on his head begin to pop up as his father had congratulated him for managing to catch such a fine boyfriend despite his bad personality.

'Uryuu-chan' was assured that he was welcome to their home any time. Yuzu packed him a big bento to take home and Karin even complimented him on the fact that he had the patience to deal with her brother's overdramatic teenage moodiness.

Ichigo offered to walk Ishida home before his father could break out the embarrassing childhood photos as he'd done when he'd discovered Rukia over and got the wrong idea a few months ago.

There were only so many "and look at his cute little wee-wees" Ichigo could take in a lifetime.

He remembers grabbing Ishida's wrist and pulling him out the door, kicking it shut behind him as his father cried and waved and shouted about how nice it was to have a son with pleasant features to look at now.

Ichigo thinks the look on Ishida's face at the time had been something torn between touched and absolutely horrified, such that he'd let Ichigo drag him by the wrist for most of the walk back to his apartment.

Looking back, Ichigo remembers being irritated at the whole thing because he'd been perfectly happy with his family not knowing about the two of them before. Now that they did it only meant more torment from his perverted father and an increase in the strange, knowing looks he'd been getting from his little sisters after his second year in high school without a girlfriend.

Ichigo remembered wishing the entire thing had been avoided, his inner-voice loudly blaming the black-haired archer next to him for the whole thing.

Ishida had been the one who'd wanted to meet his family after all.

Ichigo had been cranky, remembers mumbling something along the lines of, "happy now, asshole?" and scowling in embarrassed irritation at the other boy.

While Ichigo will never forget the face Ishida made when those condoms had been waved in his face, he thinks that even more so, he won't forget the look on Ishida's face after he asked that question, the way the lines around the Quincy's eyes softened and he'd sort of smiled and said very quietly, "yeah, I am."

Ichigo knows for certain that he won't ever forget that.

Sometimes, before that night, he tended to forget that he had this great big, strange family that was always there, even when sometimes, he didn't want them to be. He sometimes forgot that Yuzu was there to make dinner even if he wasn't in the mood to eat it and that Karin was there to keep Isshin under control when she felt like it, and that Isshin was partially competent as a doctor and at least supportive as a strange, slightly twisted parent.

And sometimes Ichigo forgot that Ishida's grandfather was long gone and that the only thing his father was to him was a man who made monthly deposits into a small bank account so his son could live alone in a cramped, sparsely furnished apartment.

Sometimes Ichigo forgot those things.

But he remembers the other boy's expression from that night clearly, and when he forgets all those other things like he tends to do every so often, he remembers Ishida's eyes and that little smile and is reminded of it all.

He'd slowed down his pace after that, feeling slightly foolish, and relaxed his grip on Ishida, let his hand slip from around the other boy's wrist until it slid down and he could feel the tentative brush of the Quincy's fingers as they intertwined with his.

The conversation had been little to nothing the rest of the way back and they'd just watched the snow fall down around them as they trekked back to Ishida's place, breath making little foggy puffs of air in front of them while oversized flakes began gathering and sticking in their hair.

Eventually they'd reached Ishida's apartment complex. Ichigo knew because the nosy landlady who was always sweeping the steps glared out at them from a window before she pulled the blinds, though he suspected she was still watching them disapprovingly anyway.

Ishida respectfully disengaged their hands with a warning look at Ichigo not to stir anything up.

Ichigo had relented, but only because he knew what a bitch Ishida could be about etiquette sometimes and the last thing he needed was a moody Quincy to placate.

They'd begun to part ways at the small stairway that led up to Ishida's building, the archer taking two steps up before pausing and turning around.

The other boy had made an inquisitive noise when Ishida stopped, but crossed his arms and waited for whatever it was he had wanted to say.

The skinnier boy had pushed his glasses up on his nose with his fingers like he liked to do, and for a second, his eyes were obscured by the glare of the surrounding snow. His voice had still been soft when he'd finally spoken, sort of hidden as he'd stood up straight and said very politely, "Ichigo… it was very nice meeting your family. Uh, please thank them again for having me tonight."

Ichigo remembers feeling slightly strange when he'd heard Ishida say that, not because the words were weird but because the tone had had a sort of dreamy wistfulness that made his stomach churn a little, made him want to reach out and brush the snow out of Ishida's hair. But he hadn't done that. Ichigo remembers snorting instead, glaring half-heartedly at the other boy while looking up at him as he stood there on his porch asking him to deliver the message to his family. He remembers saying, "Che…there's no need to thank 'em."

Ishida had frowned in that prudish way he did sometimes, when he didn't approve of Ichigo's crass manners. "Don't be rude."

Ichigo remembers reaching out and knuckling the other boy's temple. "It's even ruder not to listen to what people tell ya, isn't it? Didn't the old man say you're family now?"

Looking back, Ichigo doesn't think he'll ever forget the look on Ishida's face after he'd said that either.

For the first time all night, the orange-haired boy smiled. Leaning up, he'd pecked Ishida on the cheek in his most smug manner and turned around; sticking his hands into his pockets as he'd strolled away, leaving the Quincy staring after him on his doorstop.

Now, when he looks back and remembers the things from that first night, he can't stay angry, even though his father and Ishida are combing through his old photo albums _again_ while Yuzu's fixing dinner and can't be here to defend her older brother. Karin, in true teenage fashion, is ignoring them all in lieu of listening to her latest CD with the volume up full blast such that even he can hear the beat through the headphones.

Even if it's annoying as hell when they do this, when Ichigo remembers the looks on Ishida's face from that night, he can't stay annoyed. Even if Isshin is telling that story about the time Ichigo wet his pants in the first grade because he was too shy to ask the teacher if he could go to the bathroom and the perverted old man is laughing about how Ichigo had cried for the rest of the day because of it.

Since he can't be angry, Ichigo settles for sighing and leans back in his chair instead, glaring halfheartedly in their general direction as they horse around. He concentrates on listening to Ishida's rare and wonderful laughter while trying to tune out his dad's idiotic rambling. It is becoming less rare with time, that laughter, but regardless it is always wonderful, just as Isshin's rambling is always idiotic.

A little while later, Ishida looks up from the ten-millionth incriminating photo and his eyes meet Ichigo's. There's a look on his face now too, one that the orange-haired boy won't ever forget either, one that's ranked right up there as one of his favorites, perhaps even better than that first one Ishida had made with the condoms.

And at this point even the pants-wetting story can't touch him. Ichigo smiles back, an arrogant little grin.

It seems like tonight will be another one of those nights he can look forward to remembering.

**END**


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